Conferences and colloquies

Provisional edition

The situation in Tunisia

Recommendation 1972 (2011)1


1.       The Parliamentary Assembly refers to its Resolution 1819 (2011) on the situation in Tunisia. It also refers to the efforts of the Turkish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to contribute to the changes taking place in Tunisia.

2.       The success of the reforms embarked upon in Tunisia, where the people have been at the forefront of the “Arab Spring”, is of particular importance for the future of the transition to democracy and progress towards the universal values of the whole Mediterranean and Middle East region. Europe, built on those same values, should do all it can to contribute to the success of the transition in Tunisia.

3.       The Council of Europe is able to put at the disposal of Tunisia its unique experience and expertise in accompanying democratic transitions and establishing new institutions in young democracies in Europe. It should deploy its resources to offer practical and effective assistance in the implementation of democratic reforms in Tunisia.

4.       Accordingly, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

    4.1.       step up co-operation with the Tunisian Higher Authority for Realisation of the Objectives of the Revolution, Political Reform and Democratic Transition and provide it with relevant information on practical experiences of constitutional processes in Europe;

    4.2.       draw up, in liaison with the transitional Tunisian authorities and in co-operation with other institutional partners, especially the European Union, a programme to assist with the institutional and political reforms in Tunisia, and call on member states and other partners to ensure the funding of such a programme;

    4.3.       give priority to assistance in electoral matters, including the training of staff to administer the elections and local observers from Tunisian civil society;

    4.4.       involve Tunisian representatives, including those of civil society, in the activities of the Council of Europe in the field of democracy, and in particular in the Forum for the Future of Democracy, the Summer University for Democracy and the future Strasbourg International Forum for Democracy;

    4.5.       examine the conditions of a possible accession by Tunisia to a certain number of European conventions, notably in the fields of democracy, the rule of law and human rights;

    4.6.       invite Tunisia to accede to the Council of Europe's enlarged partial agreements, in particular the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South Centre).

5.       In addition, the Assembly recalls its Resolution 1805 (2011) and Recommendation 1967 (2011) on the large-scale arrival of irregular migrants, asylum seekers and refugees on Europe’s southern shores. It invites the Committee of Ministers to examine the measures to take in order that the Council of Europe can fully play its role as the main European organisation for the protection of human rights in this matter.

6.       The Assembly refers to the conclusions of the report of the Group of eminent persons of the Council of Europe “Living Together – combining diversity and freedom in the 21st Century Europe” to move the Organisation closer to its neighbours and recommends that the Committee of Ministers examine the possibility of creating, in consultation with the Assembly, a special status with the Council of Europe for the countries of the southern and eastern Mediterranean which would ensure a closer relationship than the one provided by the observer status.


1 Assembly debate on 21 June 2011 (22nd Sitting) (see Doc. 12624, report of the Political Affairs Committee, rapporteur: Ms Brasseur). Text adopted by the Assembly on 21 June 2011 (22nd Sitting).

     
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